APEC Partnership

APRU collaborates with Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) on initiatives which aim to solve the diverse challenges of the Asia Pacific. APEC is a regional economic forum established in 1989 to leverage the growing interdependence of the region. APRU and APEC's 21 members aim to create greater prosperity for the people of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth and by accelerating regional economic integration.

The rapid economic integration of the region prompted APRU to serve as a mechanism for universities to join together from 17 of the APEC economies, together, APRU provides policy advice to business and government on the development of research infrastructure and big science. APRU has guest membership status with APEC Working Groups and participates in a number of high-level discussions to ensure that universities have a voice in shaping policy across the region.

The inaugural APEC University Leaders' Forum brought university Presidents to join business leaders and policymakers to tackle critical skills shortage in Data Science & Analytics (DSA) and support regional competitiveness in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The Forum took place as a side event of the APEC CEO Summit 2017 “Creating New Dynamism, Fostering A Shared Future” and was organized in partnership with the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training and the Vietnam National University, Hanoi on November 8, 2017.

At the Forum Dr. Christopher Tremewan, APRU Secretary General, and Mr. Clay Stobaugh, Vice President of The Wiley Network and Co-Chair of APEC Project DARE (Data Analytics Raising Employment), announced a new partnership committed to bridge the projected skills-gap in the Asia Pacific.

In November 2017, at the APEC University Leaders' Forum, Dr. Wang Yan, Coordinator of the APEC Education Network (EDNET), launched the APEC Education Strategy Action Plan which was endorsed the previous day by the 21 APEC economies.

The Action Plan is a follow-up of the APEC Education Strategy endorsed by the 6th AEMM and noted in 2016 APEC Economic Leaders' Declaration. It envisions a strong and cohesive education community characterized by inclusive and quality education that supports economic growth and integration and social wellbeing in the APEC region by 2030.

With youth unemployed rising in the Asia Pacific in 2017, policymakers have to bridge the gap between a critically low supply of highly skilled professionals and the urgent demand among employers for a skilled workforce. By 2020, the global shortage of highly-skilled workers is expected to reach 38-40 million.

Current advances in the digital age require the collection and interpretation of big data. Employees with the ability to gather, analyze and draw practical conclusions from big data, as well as communicate these findings to others are forecasted to be among the most in demand. Labor markets are in dire need of professionals trained in data science and analytics, and shortages are severe enough to constrain economic growth.

The APEC Education Strategy was endorsed by the 6th APEC Education Ministerial Meeting in Lima 2016 supporting a strong and cohesive education community characterised by inclusive and quality education that supports sustainable economic growth, social wellbeing and employability of men and women in APEC economies.

The Asia-Pacific region lags behind other global regions with respect to women’s health and economic participation. Sustainable economic growth cannot be achieved if women, who consist half of the workforce, are unable to fully participate in the economy due to health implications. Startling gender differentials and inequities in health exist which disadvantage women.

Global projections show that from 2020 to 2030 workforce contraction will accelerate in many developed economies because of population aging. Some economies will experience significant workforce shortfalls which may reduce growth projections.

Labor mobility in the APEC region is providing new possibilities, but is at the same time challenged by structural barriers and the absence of a regional strategy. In 2014, APEC Leaders acknowledged that “much work needs to be done to ease existing barriers to interaction.